At the conference, hosted by the MPC, representatives from both sides agreed to form a group. It will draw up a draft nationwide ceasefire agreement that will consist of seven sections and be acceptable to both parties.
U Hla Maung Shwe, senior advisor at the MPC said: “The group working on the draft will consist of nine people from each side. Both sides agreed to form a working group to speed up the process.”
According to reports in State owned newspapers, people attending the MPC conference held on 9th and 10th March at Shwe Lee Street, in Kamarwet Township, Rangoon included: NCCT leader Nai Hong Sar and joint leader Pado Saw Kwe Htoo Win; ethnic armed group representatives; UWPC vice chairman Minister U Aung Min and UWPC representatives.
Also present were: U Thein Zaw, the chairman of the Pyuthu Hluttaw and Domestic Peace Working Committee; the Hluttaw National Races Affairs and Internal Peace-making Committee members; Joint-Senior General Myit Soe from the Defense Department; high ranking army officers; Hluttaw [parliament] representatives and an MPC senior representative.
U Hla Maung Shwe said: “Both sides will meet again before the end of March. The other armed groups, who are not members of United Nationalities Federation Council, are also invited to join. This is because to have all sides signing the nationwide ceasefire agreement at the same time will be more effective.”
Dr. Salai Lian Hmung, a member of NCCT, said: “On our side we wrote a draft for the ceasefire and on their side they wrote their draft for the ceasefire. We then re-wrote the draft they had written and so it goes on. The work will not get done soon, but it is an improvement if both sides agree and work together. So far 50 percent [of our work together] has been successful.”
He also said that although they have not yet been able to set a date for the nationwide ceasefire agreement conference in Pa-an, the capital of Karen State, both sides are getting closer to agreeing on a date.
